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Wanda Maximoff (Earth-616)
Real Name: Wanda Maximoff Nickname: None known Aliases: Wanda Frank, Wanda Magnus, Ana Maximoff, Gypsy Witch, The Witch Status Occupation: Adventurer, former Terrorist Legal Status: Former citizen of Transia, now naturalized citizen of the United States with no criminal record Identity: Public Marital Status: Estranged Group Affiliation: Avengers, Force Works, Queen's Vengeance, Secret Defenders, Lady Liberators, Brotherhood of Evil Mutants Base of Operations: Mobile; formerly The Works; Avengers Compound, California; Avengers Mansion, New York Origin Place of Birth: Wundagore Mountain, Transia Known Relatives: Pietro (Quicksilver, fraternal twin brother), Magnus (Magneto, father), Magda Lehnsherr (mother, deceased), Anya (half-sister, deceased), Lorna Dane (Polaris, half-sister), Vision (estranged husband, deceased), Django Maximoff (foster father, deceased), Marya Maximoff (foster mother, deceased), Crystal (sister-in-law), Luna (niece), Billy & Tommy (sons) First Appearance: ''X-Men'' (Vol. 1) #4, March 1964 History Born at the Wundagore base of the High Evolutionary, Wanda and her twin brother Pietro were eventually placed in the care of a Gypsy couple named Django and Marya Maximoff from whom they were separated as teens when their encampment was attacked. They were later recruited into Magneto's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and, as Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, they fought the X-Men but eventually abandoned their terrorist activities to join the Avengers; although she became more adept in her power's use, Wanda did not realize that she was tapping into genuine magic. It was believed that the Scarlet Witch would have been an ordinary energy manipulator or perhaps simply able to cause bad luck if not due to Chthon's attempt to use her as a pawn. After serving with her brother as part of Magneto's Brotherhood, they joined the Avengers while Magneto was a prisoner of the Stranger. Wanda fell in love with the synthezoid Vision. The Scarlet Witch eventually married her teammate, the android Vision, not realizing that they were manipulated by Immortus, who sought to prevent Wanda from having a child (Wanda was actually a key figure, or nexus being, to her reality, and her children would have power to shake the foundations of the universe). Wanda eventually drew on magic energy to give birth to twin sons, William and Thomas, but this energy was eventually revealed to have come from the demon Mephisto, who reabsorbed them, effectively ending their existence. Wanda had also reanimated her deceased mentor, Agatha Harkness, through whom she cast a spell to make her forget her children in order to ease her pain. Though Wanda later recalled her loss, she suppressed this memory over the long term. After his reformation, The Vision and Wanda have not had the closeness they once did. Wanda was also in love with Wonder Man. She was deeply saddened by his death on the first mission of Force Works. After rejoining the Avengers, she used her increased powers to resurrect him, although his ionic energy likely made him able to be restored. For some time, Wonder Man was mostly a cloud of ionic energy that Wanda had to summon. While a member of Force Works, Wanda used a 'hex mainframe' computer designed by Iron Man. Through her powers and the computer's calculations, they could proactively determine where the team was most needed rather than react to an alarm or breaking news. Although Wanda was appointed team leader, she often clashed with Stark overriding her orders. ]] Training with Agatha Harkness increased Wanda's control of her 'chaos magic.' Even after Agatha died her astral form continued to assist Wanda. However it seems that at least some of this training may have been an illusion made by Wanda herself. An unintentional remark by Wasp about her lost children apparently drove Wanda over the edge. Her various manipulations caused a number of her Avengers teammates to be killed. Others were injured or affected by various odd outbursts and incidents. The remaining Avengers gathered including a number of reservists. However, it appears some of them were more illusions created by Wanda. Doctor Strange appeared sensing abuse of magic and angry that he had not been notified of Wanda's recent problems. The Scarlet Witch seemingly gained powerful reality-altering abilities from "chaos magic"; however, this proved to be an uncontrolled aspect of her mutant power and created a great mental strain on her. When vague memories of her children resurfaced, she suffered a nervous breakdown and lashed out with her new power, subjecting the Avengers to a savage assault and apparently killing Agatha Harkness and some of her teammates. Strange was forced to use the Eye of Agamatto on Wanda, which apparently showed her a memory so horrible she went into a catatonic state. Magneto suddenly appeared to collect his daughter, and brought her to Genosha so Professor X could help her. Even while catatonic Wanda continued to warp reality. Both Strange and Xavier had limited success trying to reason with her in that state. Likewise, the other heroes also disagree on if she has become too dangerous. This eventually leads to the House of M. It was revealed that her brother Quicksilver had coaxed Wanda into altering reality. She also was apparently responsible for the Magneto impostor. Angry at what had happened, Wanda blamed herself and Magneto. With the words "No more mutants", the world was again caught up in a white flash... Many mutants found themselves powerless. People around the world know that something is different, but only a few remember the House of M. Wanda herself is listed among the missing, unable to be detected by Cerebra. A gypsy woman with a scarlet robe was seen traveling in Europe... In New Avengers #26, she is tracked down by Hawkeye. She seems to have no memory of her passed life and states that she's been living in a small European village all her life. After the disturbing meeting Hawkeye leaves, sad that he didn't find closure. Scarlet Witch will be featured in the upcoming comic Mystic Arcana http://www.marvelcomics.com/news/-1.840. Characteristics Height: 5' 7" Weight: 132 lbs Eyes: Blue Hair: Auburn Unusual Features: None Powers Chaos Magic Reality Warping: Scarlet Witch's main power is the superhuman ability to manipulate chaos magic, given to her by the demon Chthon (imprisoned within Wundagore Mountain) when she was born. Her hexes were, by extension, simple, indirect manifestations of this magic, destabilizing probabilities by inducing chaos. The Scarlet Witch's powers are not fully under her conscious control, and their effects persist even after Dr. Strange shut down her mind. There seem to be no limits to her powers during House of M, as she was easily able to alter the entire Earth-616 reality at will, and is also altering reality on a multiversal scale without even realizing what she had done, though certain of her victims have claimed to be able to discern the difference between reality and her spells. Wanda's ability to channel and wield magical energy was brought about by the demonic sorcerer Chthon. On the day that Wanda was born, the ghostly spectre of Chthon visited the newborn Wanda and "blessed" Wanda so that Wanda could channel the dangerous Chaos Magic that was the basis for Chthon's unholy might. Chthon's intentions were to create a vessel that he could possess one day, when Wanda was a full-grown adult, though his schemes to do so were foiled by the Avengers. As such, due to Chthon's "blessing", Wanda is also vulnerable to having all of her powers disabled if Chthon is ever disrupted. During the period in which pages from Chthon's sacred tome, the Darkhold, were scattered across the globe, Wanda's powers were periodically disabled -- with her being left powerless in several dangerous battles against various super-villains -- until several of the missing pages were restored to the book. Although this particular plot thread was stated by Agatha Harkness who was reanimated by Wanda. How much of it is true and how much of it is more unconscious manifestations of the Scarlet Witch's reality manipulation is up to the reader's preference. *''Hex Bolts: Initially, the Scarlet Witch had the ability to manipulate probability via her "hexes" (often manifesting physically as "hex spheres" or "hex bolts"). These hexes are relatively short range, and are limited to her line of sight. Casting a hex requires a gesture and concentration on her part, though the gestures are largely a focus for the concentration. Early in her career, her hexes were unconscious on her part, and would be automatically triggered whenever she made a particular gesture, regardless of her intent. These hexes would only manifest "bad luck" effects. She later gained enough control over her powers that her powers only work when she wants them to, and they are not limited to negative effects. They have been known to alter the molecular composition and physical state of physical objects, negate or distort physical laws, and to cause various forms of energy to spontaneously appear or disappear. She has an affinity with natural elements and phenomena, stemming largely from her magical training under Agatha Harkness, and has trained often at using her hexes to deflect projectiles or to cause enemies to stumble or otherwise suffer the effects of "bad luck". Writers often confuse her hex powers with psychokinesis, and have occasionally depicted them as able to generate energy blasts and to grant Wanda the power of flight. Although her hexes can cause objects to suddenly move or change course, they do not have the ability to "hold on" to objects as a telekinetic might. Ultimately, the hexes are not under the Witch's direct control, although she can influence the nature of their effects with great concentration and effort. This makes her one of the few Avengers that Ultron fears; his adamantium shell cannot repel magic. She has displayed the ability to cancel Longshot and Domino's powers of probability and has also once turned Longshot into a cat. '''Limitations': Her range of hex-casting is limited by her line of sight. (She cannot watch a live television broadcast and cause a hex-phenomenon to occur at its point of origin.) Hexes have a degree of unreliability, which is further affected by her physical condition: when well rested, in good health, and mentally and emotionally alert, Scarlet Witch can cast numerous hex-spheres in rapid succession and attain desirable results for almost an hour. Despite this enhanced precision, her hexes are not necessarily guaranteed to work, particularly if she has been straining herself or using her powers excessively. If overextended, her hexes can backfire, causing probability to work against her wishes or to undo previous hexes. Known Abilities Wanda was trained by Agatha Harkness in witchcraft. Her sorcerous training has not given her a set of powers separate from her mutant abilities, but only honed her control over her existing abilities. She has, however, a special affinity for the natural elements and materials that witches utilize in their spells: the four alchemical elements, wood, organic substances, etc. Wanda has also been trained in hand-to-hand combat by both Captain America and Hawkeye, and has, when sane, the experience and leadership skills that come from years of active duty as an Avenger. Strength Level: The Scarlet Witch possesses the normal human strength of a woman of her age, height, and build who engages in moderate regular exercise. Miscellaneous Equipment: None known. Transportation: Formerly Avengers Quinjet. Weapons: None known. Appearances in other media Television ''Iron Man (TV series) The Scarlet Witch appeared in the 1996 animated television series ''Iron Man. She was voiced by Jennifer Darling. In this series she was part of a romantic triangle, competing with Spider-Woman for Iron Man. ''The Avengers: United They Stand'' The Scarlet Witch appeared in the 1999 animated television series Avengers. She was voiced with a thick Eastern European accent. ''X-Men Animated Series The Scarlet Witch made a both a guest and a cameo appearance in the 1990s X-Men Animated Series. She was voiced by Tara Strong. ''X-Men: Evolution Committed to an institution by her father Magneto when she was just a child due to his inability to take care of her, Wanda harbored a homicidal hatred for him; he claims it necessary because of her uncontrollable, dangerous powers. Freed from the institution by Mystique, she joined the Brotherhood in return. Wanda was more interested in revenge against her father than in fighting for the Brotherhood's cause. During the days after, she trained with Agatha Harkness and gained control of her powers, which she demonstrated to great effect against the X-Men, handing them their first real loss to the Brotherhood. It was in this episode that she was referred to as the Scarlet Witch for the only time in the series. Wanda then teamed up with the X-Men for the Day of Reckoning, nearly killing Magneto in revenge with a falling Sentinel. She failed, and nearly fell to her death, but was saved by Nightcrawler. Following this, she and Toad (who'd developed a crush on her) confirmed Magneto's survival. After the Brotherhood (sans the traitorous Quicksilver) returned home, Wanda left them to search for Magneto, even going to Caliban of the Morlocks for help. She failed to locate him until returning to her teammates, when she found her brother in charge. Wanda managed to find her father, but Magneto used his latest recruit Mastermind to rewrite her memories, removing her hatred of him and causing her to forget having been committed. Toad and Nightcrawler rescued her from Magneto's base, and she returned to the Brotherhood. When Magneto was "killed" by Apocalypse, Wanda took the news quite hard and blamed the X-Men for not helping her father. After learning that he was in fact alive, having become one of Apocalypse's Four Horsemen, she joined Shadowcat's team in Mexico to confront her father and destroy one of Apocalypse's Pyramids, and was soon joined by the rest of the Brotherhood. After the battle's end, she returned to the Brotherhood once more. In the future as seen by Charles Xavier while he was under Apocalypse's control, Wanda, along with Avalanche, Toad, Blob, Quicksilver and Pyro, has joined S.H.I.E.L.D. as a member of Freedom Force. In X-Men Evolution, Wanda's powers allow her to "Hex" anyone in her path. The "Hex" causes everything to turn against the victim and in Wanda's favor. She has also shown an ability to paralyze another mutant's powers or cause them to go haywire. Video Games ''X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse'' Scarlet Witch is a playable character in X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse She is voiced by Jennifer Hale. A recommended character to have on the team, Scarlet Witch is able to fire hexes with many effects, including turning her enemy into a box with a surprise in it! Wanda's Hex Bolt, Reality Shift and Hex Locked powers bypass enemy invulnerability shields. She is also able to convert several enemies for a short period of time. She appears in many mission briefings and, throughout the game, the X-Men gossip that she has a crush on Colossus. There are 3 costumes available for the Scarlet Witch, including her original costume. *Game Skills: **'Misfortune' (Boost): Requires Reality Shift. Causes enemy attacks to backfire, reflecting a percentage of damage back on themselves. **'Hex Bolt' (Projectile): Fire a single hex-bolt. **'Combustion' (Radial): Requires Level 7. Use probability to spontaneously combust surrounding enemies and objects. **'Reality Shift' (Special): Requires Level 14, Combustion. Launch a hex bolt that has a chance to turn enemy into a box with something good inside. **'Hex Locked' (Projectile): Requires Level 21, Hex Bolt. Fire several hex-bolts with a chance to cause a deadly strike (1/3 instant health loss). **'Hex Explosion' (Projectile): Requires Level 28, Hex Locked. Fire a hex-bolt which causes nearby objects to explode violently. **'Anarchy Assault' (Radial, Xtreme): Requires Level 15. Unleash magic bursts with a random damage type, with a chance to convert enemies for a time. **'Revitalize' (Boost, Xtreme): Requires Level 20. Restore full Health Points for entire party, and raise max Health Points. **'Probability Syphon' (Boost): Each team member absorbs 20% of inflicted damage into Experience Points. **'Amplify Luck' (Boost): Requires Level 7, Probability Syphon. Amplify entire team's luck, increasing damage and chance of critical hits. **'Heal' (Boost): Requires Level 14, Amplify Luck. Gives party regenerative healing for a time. **'Scarlet's Touch' (Passive): Increase chance of critical hit on all attacks. **'Deflect Missiles' (Passive): Requires Level 14, Scarlet's Touch. Increases the chance of deflecting missile attacks. **'Hex Mastery' (Passive): Requires Level 21, Mutant Master. Increase damage and chance of critical damage when using hex-bolt attacks. **'Mutant Master' (Passive): Increases Experience Points regeneration rate. Toys & Statues The Scarlet Witch was part of a short-lived wave of Avengers action figures released by Toy Biz in 1996. Another figure was scheduled to be released in 2005 by Toy Biz as part of Wave 11 of Marvel Legends, this wave known as the Legendary Riders. When it came time for productions, Toy Biz executives felt the figure was not up to quality and pulled it from the line. However, some factories had already produced figures and packed them for shipment. When the line originally showed up, only the odd box contained a Scarlet Witch figure and smaller retail stores and Ebay sellers would sell the figure at much higher prices, making it for a short time the most valuable figure in the toy line. Later, the figure began showing up much more frequently in larger retails stores (such as Wal-Mart) and the value of the figure decreased. There is also a Bowen statue representing the Scarlet Witch. Recommended Readings * House of M See Also * Character Gallery: * Fan-Art Gallery: * Appearances of * Quotations by Related Articles * Avengers * Quicksilver * Magneto (Magnus) * Vision (Victor Shade) * Wonder Man Links * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarlet_Witch * http://www.comicbookdb.com/character.php?ID=211 ---- Category:Characters Category:Female Characters Category:Good Characters Category:Living Characters Category:Public Identity Category:Auburn Hair Category:Blue Eyes Category:Estranged Characters Category:Mutant Characters Category:198 Characters Category:Transian Category:Secret Defenders members Category:Avengers members Category:Brotherhood members Category:Silver Age Category:Twins Category:Magicians Category:Copy Edit